Goose Bay Kaikoura

4 Mar  Goose Bay
I packed up my gear, loaded up the bike and left early.  There was rain but it was very light drizzle. I had plenty of layers on and so the light rain didn't bother me.  The strong southerly, though cold, was my friend.  I achieved good speeds first to Cheviot for a full English breakfast and later Parnassus for a cup of tea. There the sign said 56km to Kaikoura - a fiddle I thought. The range of hills south of Kaikoura were a lot steeper and longer than I remember them.Memories of the Gillespie Pass came flooding back.  Walk 10 metres, recover for 10 minutes.Slow and painful progress.  Then I saw the ocean and the bad memories faded just a little. I stopped at the Goose Bay camp and took yet another cabin. Had fish and chips back a couple of bays - just got in before they closed for the day.  The plan tomorrow is to catch a train to Picton and thus avoid the narrow windy coastal road. And there is little accomodation on that route.  It is quite exciting to think I could be back in the North Island tomorrow night. It was passing comment from the young woman who booked me in to this camping ground about there being a train.  I will need to be up early enough in the morning morn meet it in time.